It is known to use a shorting clip terminal in an automotive vehicle to electrically short an electrical signal provided on a terminal with another electrical signal provided on another terminal to selectively affect the performance of an electrical circuit. Referring to FIG. 1, a common prior art shorting clip terminal (1) is illustrated. The shorting clip terminal (1) includes a front end (2) and a contact point (3). Referring to FIG. 2, the terminal (1) is mounted in a cavity (4) of the housing (5). A wall portion (6) of the housing (5) assists to hold the terminal (1) within the cavity (4) and separates the shorting clip terminal (1) from electrical contact with another adjacent terminal (7) in the housing (5). Other electrical connections in the housing (5) affected by electrical contact with the terminal (1) are not shown. The contact point (3) of the terminal (1) is disposed adjacent the wall portion (6) and is detached from the adjacent terminal (7) by an air gap (8). Other adjacent terminals in the housing (5) are separated by electrical contact with the terminal (1) by similar air gaps. As shown in FIG. 2, terminal (1) is operating in a first operation state where the shorting clip terminal (1) does not make electrical contact with the terminal (7) and with the other terminals (not shown) in the housing (5). A second operation state of the shorting clip terminal is produced when the shorting clip terminal electrically connects the associated terminals in the housing (5) together through the shorting clip terminal (1) altering electrical performance of connected electrical circuits that is different from the electrical performance attained with the first operation state.
Referring to FIG. 2A, environmental exposure of the housing in an automotive vehicle may degrade the reliability of the housing (5) and the wall portion (6) such that the air gap (8) decreases between the shorting clip terminal (1) and the terminal (7). Undesired degradation and creep of the wall portion (6), as shown in phantom line in FIG. 2A, may cause collapse of the air gap (8) such that the contact points (3) of the shorting clip terminal (1) move towards, and make electrical contact (9) with corresponding terminals (7) of the housing to produce the second operation state of the shorting clip terminal when the second operation state is not desired. The shorting clip terminal may also incur undesired damage if the wall portion does not properly seat beneath the front end of the terminal in the cavity of the housing upon insertion from outside the cavity. Damage to the shorting clip terminal may also cause further undesired concomitant damage within the cavity of the housing. A damaged shorting clip terminal is inoperable. Replacing damaged components may increase service costs for the shorting clip terminal and the housing.
What is needed is an improved shorting clip terminal connector assembly to reliably produce the first operation state and the second operation state of the shorting clip terminal while decreasing damage to the shorting clip terminal.